Fate Loves (Twist of Fate Book 3)

by Tina Saxon

  “Is this going to be payback for making you sing ‘You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling’?”

  “No. But someday…it’ll happen.” He chuckles. “I want to know if it’d be okay if I ask her at your reception.”

  I scratch my chin, thinking I don’t care. Will Addison? No. She’ll love the idea that she can share her day with Sydney. “Are you sure she’s going to say yes?” I joke. I know I asked Addison in front of every friend we have, but I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  “I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t sure,” he responds.

  Pulling into the driveway, I put the car in park. I survey the property and then turn to Damon. “You have our blessing.” I squeeze his shoulder. “I’m happy for you.”

  Max isn’t going to be, but that’s on him. He needs to move on. I’m glad he hasn’t made it known how he really feels. This would be one awkward situation. Well, more than it already is.

  When we leave the house, we’re not sure what to think of the guy’s tip, but we get a good laugh. After we get back to the office, we do our report and head out for the day. As we’re leaving our building, the guy we talked to earlier starts walking toward us. Here we go, this guy is a nut. Damon’s talking and doesn’t notice. I tap his arm once and motion with my head in his direction. We stop walking. I stand with my legs wide apart and my arms tight to my body so I can reach for my gun quickly if I need to.

  “Mr. Shoemaker, what can we do for you?” I ask.

  He tugs at his earlobe and his eyes bounce from me to Damon. “I feel…I feel you didn’t take my tip seriously earlier…” He stumbles on his words. His pupils dilate and he tugs at his ear again. He wasn’t this nervous at his home.

  “I can assure you, Mr. Shoemaker, that we take all tips seriously,” I respond with a calm voice. This guy calls in a tip, saying that he saw the murder happen in his dream. He gave us a very detailed description of the man.

  He fidgets again, his eyes scanning the area. My heart thumps quicker. I feel Damon’s body tense next to me. He feels it, too. This guy isn’t right.

  “Are you…are you going to look for the man? I can’t sleep at night knowing what he looks like and knowing that he’s still out there.” Every time he jerks his hand to his ear, my finger flinches.

  “Mr. Shoemaker, we gave your description to a sketch artist. We’ll call you when he’s finished so you can confirm that the sketch is correct,” Damon says.

  Mr. Shoemaker’s posture slumps a little as he blows out a breath. “Okay. Okay…” He nods his head a couple times. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you then.” We both nod as he turns and staggers away. I don’t take my eyes off him until he rounds the building.

  “Something is up with that guy,” I say, exhaling loudly. “You’re such a fucking liar.” Damon lets out a quick, loud laugh. There’s no composite sketch being done.

  “There’s a reason he’s adamant we focus on this person he dreamed of. I think we need to delve into Mr. Shoemaker’s life.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Sydney’s working late tonight, so I’ll just go back up and start pulling some data.”

  “Alright. Let me know if you find anything. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  ***

  I throw my keys on the kitchen counter and scan the apartment. The emptiness of it causes mixed feelings. I hope Addison likes it here. She told me she loves this area, and I couldn’t pass up this deal anymore. The four-bedroom penthouse is the perfect size for us, but will she be pissed I made this huge decision without talking with her? I wanted to surprise her, but now I’m starting to second-guess my decision.

  It’s too late, Roberts.

  Grabbing a beer out of the refrigerator, I take a long swallow, pushing the thoughts of regret out of my mind, and get to work unpacking. I have five days until our wedding. I don’t know how the hell I’m going to keep this a secret. Hopefully Addison doesn’t decide to just pop over. I’ve told security to call me immediately if she shows up. I’m not sure how I’ll explain the empty apartment.

  The movers will be at her apartment right after she leaves for Max’s on Saturday. Sydney knows about this, so she’ll let me know as soon as they leave. I’ve left detailed instructions on where all the furniture should be placed. Cheryl, our receptionist from work, told me she would come and make sure everything was running smoothly before driving out to the wedding. The painters will be here this week to paint Lexi’s room. I hired the same ones who did her original room, and I instructed them it needs to look identical to that one. Lexi loves her room so much, and I want her to feel comfortable here. She’s had so much change this past year, I’m afraid if it’s different, she might not adjust as quickly. I’ll let Addison decide on the rest because I don’t have a clue.

  My job is to make this place feel like our home, and I have five days to do it.

  Chapter twenty-five

  “Look at the directions again. This has to be wrong.” I lean forward against the steering wheel, looking out the windshield. Trees. All I see are freaking trees. I had to have missed a sign somewhere. We haven’t passed a car in miles. We made a wrong turn. I know it. I’m positive we didn’t go this way when Aiden and I come here to skydive. Granted, I didn’t see his house either so who knows where it is on his property.

  “Google Maps is telling me we’re going the right way,” Syd says, shoving her phone close to my face. She’s getting annoyed because this isn’t the first time I’ve asked. More like the fifth.

  “It’ll be my luck that I’m late to my own wedding.” Aiden gave me his car to drive since I don’t have one, and I’m determined we don’t see each other until I walk down the aisle. I never saw myself as superstitious, but I’m staying as far away as possible from anything that might bring me bad luck. All the guys came out yesterday. Harper and Bryn are driving together. They shouldn’t be too far behind us. Macie is picking up Katie from the airport on her way here. Lexi is with Amy and Ted. They came out last night, as well. They wanted to give me a night to myself to get ready for today. Although I’m glad they did, this is a big day for Lexi, too. I can’t wait until she sees her surprise. I smile to myself, thinking about it. Everything is coming together. Except I can’t find the damn place.

  “Relax, Addie. We have plenty of—” she stops midsentence because once we clear the trees, she can tell we’re not going the wrong way. “Holy mother of huge. That’s Max’s house?” she exclaims, pointing to the mansion we’re headed straight for. It’s a colonial-style house that sprawls across an immaculate green lawn. It must have at least one hundred windows just in the front. Painted gray with white trim, it reminds me of Aiden’s beach house—if you add an extra few thousand feet. I can’t even imagine how many bedrooms this place has.

  I can’t take my eyes off the house as I take my foot off the gas pedal to slow down. “Um…I think.” I glance over at Syd who has the same amazed look I have and shrug. “I mean, we shouldn’t be surprised. He does own his own plane. Oh! And has a runway and hangar somewhere on this property.”

  “What does a single guy do with all this house?” Syd spreads her arms across the car. I push her arm out of my view. I want to know who cleans it, because it sure as hell isn’t Max. As we pull through the black wrought-iron gate and make our way up the long driveway, I notice a building next to the house. It’s a five-car garage with two black SUVs sitting outside of it. They resemble FBI-issued vehicles.

  “He owns his own security firm. Maybe this is where he does his business.” I can’t believe I’ve known Max for over a year now; I feel like I should have known all this already. “When Aiden told me we were having the wedding at Max’s house, I was a little concerned, but it’s beautiful out here,” I say, looking around at all the scenery. The front yard has been freshly mowed and is outlined with small bushes and flowers.

  “That it is. It’s a beautiful day outside, too, perfect for an outdoor wedding,” Syd says excitedly, clapping her hands
. She tilts her head forward, looking up. “And not a cloud in the sky.” I breathe a sigh of relief. My anxiety is at maximum high right now. I know something is going to go wrong. It wouldn’t be normal for me if it didn’t. My ankle only hurts when I overdo it, but I’m not using crutches and I can wear heels…at least walking down the aisle.

  I drive around the circular drive and put the car in park. A man in a valet uniform smiles as he approaches my door. I glance at Syd, surprised.

  “Valet?” she says, shaking her head. “The guys went all out.” She laughs as she gets out of the car.

  “Miss Mason?” the valet asks.

  I giggle, thinking it’s funny having a valet at someone’s house. I certainly wasn’t raised with the rich and famous. “Yep, that’s me.”

  “Mr. Owen will be right out to let you know where to go.” He holds his hand out, and I drop the key into his palm.

  “I have to get my stuff out first,” I say, walking to the trunk.

  “That’s okay. One of my staff will grab everything and bring it up to you.” Staff? How many people does it take to park cars?

  “Thanks,” I say, walking past the trunk to Syd.

  “Fancy.” Syd giggles. She hooks her arm in mine, and we walk up the stairs to the front porch. The front door opens and Max strides out before we make it to the top step.

  “Ladies,” he says. “Glad to see y’all made it okay.”

  When I walk up to him, I slap him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you lived in a mansion? Holy shit, Max, this is huge! And beautiful!” His laugh booms and ricochets throughout the porch. “And a staff of valets? Please tell me that’s not normal.” I turn and point to Aiden’s car being driven away.

  “I do have a staff, but the valets aren’t normally here. I don’t have a place to park a lot of cars without walking across a field.” He lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “I figured people probably wouldn’t want to do that.”

  “Well, I’m impressed,” I say and give him a hug. “Thank you.”

  “You know I would do anything for you and Aiden.” With his arm around my shoulder, he glances at Syd and smiles. “Hey, Tink.” This never gets any less awkward for me. It pisses me off because they act like nothing ever happened between them. If they don’t feel weird, why should I?

  “Hey, Max,” she replies. “Nice place you have here.”

  Max stands a little taller and smirks. “Thanks. This used to be my dad’s house. Everything has been remodeled, though,” he says proudly. “It was a little dated when I got it.”

  “It’s gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the rest of it,” I say.

  “Then, let’s go,” Max says, directing us into the house. “The women will be upstairs and the guys are in the guesthouse.”

  I stop dead in the doorway and spin around to Max. He puts his hands on the doorjamb to stop himself from running into me. “What in the hell do you need a guesthouse for?” I muse. “It’s not like you don’t have room in here for guests.”

  He chuckles. “My dad didn’t like visitors too much, so they got their own space.” He twirls his finger in the air, gesturing for me to turn around.

  “I’m going,” I murmur. When I spin around, the beautiful grand entryway greets me. The floors are a honey-colored wood that has a rustic feel, but the rest of the house is decorated with more of a simplistic style. Looking straight ahead, I can see the sparkling pool through the French doors. The stunning spiral staircase runs along a white wall with colorful, abstract artwork. The reds, oranges, and blues stand out against the stark white walls, but it’s like they bring life to the place. It surprises me to see them. I turn my head and look at Max. “I’m assuming those were your mom’s?” I ask, pointing to the pictures.

  He crosses his arms and smirks. “No, I bought those.” My brows lift. He laughs at my obvious state of surprise. “I have a friend who painted them,” he responds, looking at them.

  “They’re beautiful. I’d love to have one of her pieces in my home,” I say, looking back at them.

  “I’ll try and make that happen. Now get upstairs before I carry you. I have stuff I need to do.”

  “I’m going,” I say. “It’s not my fault this is the first time I’m seeing your house and now that I see it, I’m intrigued.”

  “Well, start yourself a list of questions and I’ll answer them later.” He groans and pushes me toward the stairs. Right as my foot hits the first step, the front door opens and in walks Bryn and Harper.

  “Holy shit, Max, do you live here?” Harper says, putting her suitcase down and looking around. Max rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling.

  I giggle. “That’s exactly what I said! Who knew?” I throw my arms out.

  Max shakes his head. “Yes, women. I live here. Any other questions?”

  “Well, now that you’re opening the question box…”

  His eyes go wide and he bites back a grin. “You better be glad I like you.”

  We all start laughing. “Come on, girls, I’ve heard our room is upstairs,” I say and stick my tongue out at him.

  “Finally,” he murmurs as we walk upstairs.

  Our chatter about how impressive his house is doesn’t stop. I’m not the only one surprised by Max’s house. He stays quiet behind us while herding us to our room. I bet he’ll do anything to get out of coming back here next time. We stop at the top and let him by so he can lead us to which door is ours. I look down both hallways and all I see are closed doors. A lot of them.

  “Max, what do you do with all these rooms?” I point down each hallway.

  He shrugs. “I find things to do with them.” He winks and turns to leave. I lift a brow. Things? Well, shit, now I’m interested in these things. “You all are in this room,” he says, opening one of the doors, pulling me from my detective tendencies.

  Focus, Addison, you’re getting married today.

  We walk into a room filled with white. Everything is stark white, like a canvas begging to have color splattered on it. It’s probably the biggest room I’ve ever seen with a bay window spanning almost the entire length of the room. This must be two rooms combined. The sunlight reflects off the white and it’s blinding.

  “I think I need sunglasses in here,” I say, laughing and dramatically squinting my eyes. Max takes out a pair of sunglasses from his shirt pocket and slips them onto my face. His smart-ass grin spreads across his face.

  “Your wish is my command,” he says, sarcastically.

  I grin, pushing them up to sit on top of my head. “You’re like a Boy Scout, always prepared.” He laughs out loud when I hold up three fingers. “I bet you even know the Boy Scout Oath.” I cock my head a little, taunting him. When I lived with my mom, my neighbor was in Boy Scouts and he would make me test him on the oath.

  He puffs up his chest. “Aiden and I had more badges than anyone,” he boasts. I drop my head in laughter and hear all the girls giggle.

  I look up to him, shaking my head slightly. “I was kidding, but I’m not surprised.” I take off the sunglasses and hand them back to him. Two guys walk into the room carrying Sydney’s and my stuff, including my wedding dress. They hang my dress off the bathroom door and place the rest of the stuff on the bed.

  “Ladies, if you need anything, let us know,” one of them says.

  “We need some orange juice,” Syd quickly replies, walking to her bag. She pulls out a bottle of champagne and a smile spreads across her face. “And some glasses.”

  “Let the festivities begin,” Max says, chuckling as he walks out the door behind the guys.

  There is a sitting area with a couch and two chairs. The girls take a seat, chatting about the drive here. I walk to the bay window, which looks out to the pool.

  My breath hitches. “Oh. My. God.” I say, stunned.

  Syd jumps up. “What? What’s wrong?” she says, coming to the window. I turn and look at her with wide eyes. The girls jump to their feet right behind her. I can’t even talk. My mouth hangs open as I tak
e in the back of Max’s house.

  “Wow,” Harper and Syd say in unison.

  The pool, of course, is gorgeous, but it’s what is past the pool that has me speechless. Max’s land backs up to a very large lake. I can just make out a couple of houses on the other side of the lake, but it’s mostly land. Some steps lead down a hill to a white tent where we’ll be having our reception and it’s right in front of the lake. We can see people coming and going from underneath the tent, getting things ready. To the left of the tent, white chairs are lined up in a semicircle facing the lake. Workers set flowers all around the area.

  Tears sting my eyes as I watch my wedding come together. I can’t believe Aiden did all this. For me. Sydney wraps her arms around me and leans her head on my shoulder. “You deserve this, Addie.” I sniff and wipe away a tear that escapes down my cheek. I grab her hand on my waist and squeeze. “I can’t wait to stand by your side and watch you marry the man who was meant for you. Fate couldn’t have led you to a better man.”

  I laugh and cry at the same time. “The journey to get us here…” I pause to sniffle, “…it’s definitely been a twist of fate.”

  “I know it’s been a long journey, hun, but right now down there is all that matters.” She points to a small house nestled between the trees to the left of the main house. That must be the guesthouse. I nod in agreement and close my eyes momentarily, basking in this feeling of euphoria.

  “Alright, ladies, I have orange juice,” a male voice says. I open my eyes and turn my head to see one of the guys from earlier putting glasses and a carafe of orange juice on the dresser. “Anything else you need, I put my phone number on this napkin. Just text me.” He smiles and walks out.

  I turn back to look out the window one more time and scream, jumping back against the wall, out of sight. I hold my chest as my heart just exploded.

  “What in the world,” Harper says, looking out the window.

  “Aiden,” I say, breathing heavy with my hand on my chest. “He’s down there.” All three girls look at me like I’ve gone crazy. “We can’t see each other,” I stress. They still stare at me and blink. “Why are you guys staring at me? You know it’s bad luck if we see each other on the day of our wedding.”